The Dave Steinbach Tennis Center

Coach Steinbach

In October 2018 Brookfield Central named its new tennis court facility the "Dave Steinbach Tennis Center," in honor of Coach Steinbach for his unwavering commitment to Elmbrook's students and student-athletes for over 60 years.

Coach Steinbach was a pillar of the Brookfield Central tennis community. He began his 38-year teaching career in Elmbrook in 1960, his 55-year Elmbrook coaching career in 1965, and his 38-year tennis coaching career at Brookfield Central in 1982. As a physical education teacher and coach of gymnastics, basketball, and tennis, Coach Steinbach quickly laid a foundation for excellence and inclusiveness at Brookfield Central both in the classroom and on the athletic fields. 

During his tennis coaching career at Brookfield Central, Steinbach coached more than 6,000 student-athletes, and never cut a single player from the program. Coach Steinbach amassed over 1,000 wins. His varsity teams won 28 Braveland or Greater Metro conference titles, two of the most highly regarded tennis conferences in the state of Wisconsin. Additionally, Steinbach's teams won 13 state titles, were state runner-up 13 times, and made 39 team state tournament appearances. Coach Steinbach designed the team state tournament format that the WIAA currently uses. 

From a state perspective, Coach Steinbach won several Wisconsin High School Tennis Coaches Association (WHSTCA) Coach of the Year awards. He was named United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Coach of the Year twice, and United States Tennis Association (USTA) Starfish National Coach of the Year twice. Additionally, Steinbach is in both the WHSTCA and Brookfield Central Halls of Fame. He was recognized in Tennis Magazine, by countless tennis organizations around the country and was sent by the USTA and United States State Department to Uganda, Africa, in the 1990s on a goodwill mission to spread his knowledge of and love for tennis. 

The most impressive aspect of his career moved far beyond state titles, trophies, and professional recognition - it was Coach Steinbach's love of tennis and inclusiveness that stood out. He mentored over 60 assistant coaches through guidance, clinics and instruction in order to help them instill his love of tennis in them to pass on to their players. His teams routinely included over 100 players, yet he somehow found the time to watch all of his players' matches. If there was a tennis match being played for Brookfield Central in Brookfield or on the road, Coach Steinbach would be there supporting player #100, just as he would support the best player on the team. He valued every player, every year, in every match, and countless former players came back to share with him the positive impact he made on their lives.